A Dress of Violet Taffeta by Tessa Arlen (Book Tour)

 

Have you ever had a dress made for you or have you made a dress?

I had bridesmaid dresses that were made for me, but I haven’t had an original creation just for me.  I think it would be fun to have a dress that was designed just for me.

Lucy Wallace is in a pickle.  Her husband has been abusive, unfaithful and has finally left her for a dancer.  She realizes this is the chance she needs to fulfill her dream of becoming a dress designer.  She scandalously divorces her husband in the 1890s and starts her business.  Her unique designs catch on with the upper crust and rich Americans.  She is able to fulfill her dreams while also supporting her mother and her young daughter, Esme.  When Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon starts to court her, will Lucy have a second chance at love?

I enjoyed this novel.  I love historical fashion and the descriptions of the dresses and clients were wonderful.  Lucy Wallace was a real person and I loved looking her up and seeing what the dresses she designed looked like.  I had never heard of her before, and I loved learning her story.  The book was told in alternating perspectives between Lucy and her employee, Celia.  Celia is a great character too.  She comes to Lucy as a teen from the workhouse.  Lucy sees something in her and together they are able to build Lucy’s company.  I liked the romance between Lucy and Cosmo.  I am a fan of second chance romance.  I liked that Cosmo loved her for who she was and realized that she was always going to be a designer.

I love Titanic stories and was surprised to discover in this book that Cosmo, Lucy, and Celia were on the Titanic.  It was a fascinating part of the story for what happened and the aftereffects.  There was a great author’s note on the end that gave details on each of the real-life characters.

Overall, A Dress of Violet Taffeta is an interesting look into turn of the century fashion and an independent woman.

Book Source:  A Review Copy from Berkley and Netgalley.  Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

QUICK FACTS

·       Title: A Dress of Violet Taffeta: A Novel

·       Author: Tessa Arlen

·       Genre: Historical Fiction

·       Publisher: ‎Berkley (July 5, 2022)

·       Length: (352) pages

·       Format: Trade paperback, eBook, & audiobook 

·       ISBN: 978-0593436851

·       Tour Dates: June 27-July 11, 2022

 

BOOK DESCRIPTION

A sumptuous novel based on the fascinating true story of La Belle Époque icon Lucy, Lady Duff Gordon, who shattered the boundaries of fashion with her magnificently sensual and enchantingly unique designs.

Lucy Duff Gordon knows she is talented. She sees color, light, and texture in ways few people can begin to imagine. But is the male dominated world of haute couture, who would use her art for their own gain, ready for her?
 
When she is deserted by her wealthy husband, Lucy is left penniless with an aging mother and her five-year-old daughter to support. Desperate to survive, Lucy turns to her one true talent to make a living. As a little girl, the dresses she made for her dolls were the envy of her group of playmates. Now, she uses her creative designs and her remarkable eye for color to take her place in the fashion world—failure is not an option. 
 
Then, on a frigid night in 1912, Lucy’s life changes once more, when she becomes one of 706 people to survive the sinking of the Titanic. She could never have imagined the effects the disaster would have on her fashion label Lucile, her marriage to her second husband, and her legacy. But no matter what life throws at her, Lucy will live on as a trailblazing and innovative fashion icon, never letting go of what she worked so hard to earn.

 

ADVANCE PRAISE

“Fans of the 1991 BBC series The House of Eliott will find familiar comfort in Arlen’s descriptions of fabrics, colorworks, and evolving fashions.” —Library Journal

“Tessa Arlen’s novel is as elegant as a Lucille gown, full of movement, color and beauty…For anyone interested in fashion, in the Gilded Age, in stories about strong, visionary woman, Tessa Arlen’s novel is a must read!” —Jeanne Mackin, author of The Last Collection

“A sumptuous treat of elegant prose, evocative descriptions, and compelling emotions. Arlen’s writing absolutely shines.” —Anna Lee Huber, USA TODAY Bestselling author of A Perilous Perspective

“Tessa Arlen delivers a fascinating tale based on the real-life fashion icon, Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon, who went up against a male dominated industry and revolutionized it…A must read for fashion fans everywhere.” —Renee Rosen, USA Today bestselling author of The Social Graces

“…written in a sumptuous, engaging style that appeals to all the senses and brings Lucy, her creations, and her world vividly alive.” —Alyssa Maxwell, author of The Gilded Newport Mysteries

 

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY | BOOKSHOP | GOODREADS | BOOKBUB

 

AUTHOR BIO

Tessa Arlen writes historical fiction when she is not toiling away in her garden. She is the author of the Edwardian mystery series: Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson; the Woman of World War II mystery series. Poppy Redfern. And two standalone historical novels: In Royal Service to the Queen, and A Dress of Violet Taffeta.

 

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EXCLUSIVE AUTHOR INTERVIEW

·       Read an in-depth interview with author Tessa Arlen revealing insights into her new historical fiction novel, A Dress of Violet Taffeta.